Heroes in a Half Shell: The New Kid
by FilmGeek-BookNerd12
Summary: When New York street kid Robbie has a run-in with the Purple Dragons, he is saved by a group of mysterious ninja warriors. This is the beginning of the greatest adventure of his life. Rated: T as a precaution
1. Prologue - Robbie

**Okay, so this is my first fan fiction, so please be kind and review, constructively. This is based on the 2012 Nickelodeon/Viacom reboot which was based, in turn, on characters created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird.**

**I own nothing except for certain situations and the character of Robbie.**

**Also, as no clear time span is acknowledged in the television series, except for the two-part series opener, I say that this happens about a month after the events of "Never Say Xever" the eighth episode of the season.**

* * *

Prologue – Robbie

He opened the window slowly and silently, forcing himself to slow his, up to that moment, shallow breathing.

_Don't let an alarm go off! Please don't let an alarm go off_, he prayed. Though it wasn't the first time he'd done it, it always made Robbie nervous when he would break into a house or store to nick something.

He took a step forward and stopped. He always did this. Hesitate due to the moral implications of his deeds. Moving his brown hair from his eyes, Robbie reassured himself. "It's not like I don't know that this is wrong, but, hey, this is New York. Burglaries happen all the time and I'll pay them back."

That was how Robbie would make himself feel better about stealing. He would keep an eye on the places he'd steal from and make sure no one else got the idea to knock over the joints for reasons of pure greed. Unlike most street people and gangs nowadays, Robbie would steal only the things he absolutely needed. Food. Once a year or so, clothes. Things like that. Necessities.

Taking a deep breath, he took another step forward. And another, entering the small grocery shop on the East Side further, Then he saw what he came for, a bag of apples and a pack of bottled water. Slowly advancing, he grabbed the items and quickly turned back to the small window through which he had entered.

Once he was outside, Robbie breathed a sigh of relief. He was about to leave when a familiar voice spoke up from the shadows. "Nice job, kid."

Robbie swore under his breath and turned to face the source of his trouble.

Of course, it was Fong, the leader of the local street gang, the Purple Dragons. He was alone, so Robbie knew that the other two members of the Dragons were hiding nearby.

"What do you want, _Fong_?" Robbie asked, spitting his question out venomously.

"We been watching you for the past couple months. You've got a real style. Sneaking in, avoiding the alarms, and such." He took a step toward Robbie, who impulsively stepped back. "And we was wondering if you want to join up with us."

"We?" Robbie turned, only to find himself face-to-chest with Sid. Sid was the strongman of the group. He was 220 lbs of pure muscle, with a thick head to match, and he rarely used a weapon. The boy was going to quickly step to the side and take off, but Sid gripped his shoulders tightly and turned him toward the advancing Fong.

"We could use a guy like you," Fong continued.

"You mean to blame if you're ever caught?" countered Robbie coolly. "I've seen what happens to people who hang out with you guys. Well, thanks for the offer, but I'm not going to follow you guys around and wait to be used as a scapegoat."

Fong frowned, but that soon gave way to a crooked smile. One that made Robbie a little nervous. He drew in closer. Robbie could see the last Purple Dragon appear behind his leader. Tsoi, with his bushy black moustache and his signature weapon, a sledgehammer.

Fong's breath reeked, making Robbie's stomach do a double flip. "One more chance, _kid_," he whispered menacingly. "Join up, or we persuade you to."

Robbie paused, as though considering the threat laden ultimatum when he slammed his foot into Fong's shin and rammed his elbow into Sid's stomach. Both jumped back, Fong in pain and Sid in surprise.

With Robbie free, he didn't need to be told what to do next. He ran in the direction of the nearest alleyway when he heard a pained groan. Distracted, he caught his feet on each other and down he went.

Turning on his back, what he saw both confused and amazed him. Less than a yard away from him, standing over a stunned hammer-wielding Tsoi, was a… _turtle_?

Robbie blinked and blew the hair from his eyes. Yep. It was a turtle, shell and all. A human-sized turtle holding what looked like salad tongs in the dim lighting.

"Hey, Fong!" called a voice overhead. Robbie looked up and watched as three more giant turtles leapt from the roof of a nearby building. They landed on their feet and approached the gang. "You getting your kicks from threatening kids now?" asked one of the turtles.

"_They talk_!" thought Robbie, his eyes widening. "_They TALK_!"

"The turtles!" shouted Fong. Robbie could hear the hate in his voice. The Purple Dragons obviously had a bad history with these guys.

Tsoi and Sid got to their feet and looked at both their leader and their attackers. "Don't just stand there! Get them!"

What came next happened so fast that Robbie could barely keep track of what went on.

Tsoi went after the turtle with the salad tongs, while Sid fought two of the other turtles. One held a long wooden staff and the other twirled something. Robbie couldn't tell what it was, but he could tell that being hit with whatever it was hurt.

Tsoi swung his sledgehammer at the turtle's head, only for the creature to dive to the side and swing his leg out, knocking the thug off his feet.

Sid, being weaponless, did what he always did best: mindlessly swing his fits as he concentrated on his two intended targets. He landed a blow on the one whose weapon still had no name to Robbie, only to take a hit to the face from the other's staff.

"Oof!" grunted Sid as he stumbled back. He took a kick to the stomach and collapsed.

"Meddling reptiles," Robbie heard Fong say to the turtle he fought. He'd pulled a meat cleaver from his belt and was fighting off his opponent, who was effortlessly dodging the attacks. Fong swung his hand down an arm's length away when the turtle grabbed, twisted so the gang member was forced to drop his knife, and flipped him onto his back.

The turtle placed a foot on Fong's chest and pulled something out from the back of his shell. A sword or, more specifically, a katana.

Placing the sword's point under Fong's chin, the turtle spoke. "Now," he said calmly, "what do say to the kid?"

"Sorry," he hissed furiously.

"Good boy," the turtle said. In the sparse light of the street, Robbie could see a faint smile on the turtle's face. Robbie watched as his rescuers stood away from the Purple Dragons and allowed them to get to their feet.

Fong looked around and, in a tone that refused to serve in hiding his fear, called for the Dragons to retreat.

"Yeah, and don't let me catch you punks pickin' on some kid again! Ya hear?" the turtle that beat Tsoi shouted after them.

The turtle with the staff cautiously approached Robbie and held out his three-fingered hand. Robbie hesitated before he accepted.

"Thanks," he said quietly.

"Don't mention it," said the turtle.

"You know, you should be more careful," said the one with katana, who seemed to be the leader.

Robbie didn't respond. He just watched as the turtles jumped to the roof of a building and disappeared. When they were gone, he left for home, not even bothering to grab his loot.


	2. Chapter One - Robbie

**Okay, so here is Chapter One. I am going to try to alternate the POV every couple of chapters or so, much like Rick Riordan in his **_**Heroes of Olympus**_** series.**

**It might take a while for me to update for the time being as I believe my laptop is fried. Please enjoy.**

**As usual, I do not own a thing except for certain situations and characters, including Robbie and Officer Tucker.**

**This chapter takes place a week or so after the events of the episode "Panic in the Sewers".**

**A special shout out to my first actual reviewer, Annie the Awesome, the author of the TMNT fanfic "Booyakasha!". Check it out!**

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Chapter One – Robbie

Three Weeks Later

"What do you think you're doing?"

Robbie lifted his head and looked at Officer Tucker. The bald forty-something year-old man stood in front of him, arms folded and beady eagle-like eyes watching the teenager intently.

"Nothing," answered Robbie. It wasn't a lie. It was raining, and he was simply standing in a doorway, trying his best to stay dry. The last time he checked, there wasn't a law against that.

"No loitering," Officer Tucker said.

"Oh come on! It's pouring."

"Doesn't matter," sniffed Tucker. "No loitering. Move it." The man paused when Robbie didn't do as he said. Robbie watched silently as the policeman consulted his wristwatch. "Do your parents know you're out this late?" he added.

Robbie immediately tensed up. What was he supposed to say? He didn't want to let it slip that he had no parents and then find himself in one of the city's many orphanages or in foster care.

One of Tucker's eyebrows raised in suspicion. "Yeah, well… They, uh… You see…" Robbie's voice came to an abrupt halt as he watched a familiar body round a corner on the adjacent side of the street.

Fong. The Purple Dragons had been pressuring him to join them since that night three weeks prior, always making sure that nobody would come to his rescue and beating him up before leaving as an incentive to make what was, in their minds, the right choice. Robbie winced with the reminders of their last meeting: a black eye, a bruised face, and a few cracked ribs.

He prayed. Oh how Robbie prayed. _Don't let him see me_, he thought. _Let Fong just keep walking and not notice me_.

But, as his usual rotten luck would have it, the gangster spotted him from across the street. He smirked and leaned against the red brick building, watching the proceedings.

"Well?" pressed an impatient police officer.

_What do I do? What do I do?_ Robbie's stiff body started to quake with panic. Before he could actually come to a decision, he found himself pushing Officer Tucker to one side and running down the sidewalk as fast as he could.

"Hey! Come back here!" shouted Officer Tucker.

Though he didn't look behind him, Robbie knew that both the cop and Fong were pursuing him.

Robbie must have been running for several minutes, though it felt like several hours to him. He zigzagged through many streets and alleyways, and, somewhere along the line, he was positive that he lost Officer Tucker. Fong was still on his trail however. Robbie could hear him chuckling somewhere behind him.

Tired and in a last-ditch effort to escape, Robbie threw himself into a passing alleyway.

The alley was bare. Only a few piles of garbage and a wheeled dumpster were present. It ended in a six-foot brick wall. The buildings that lined the space had no visible windows or doors. Robbie was trapped.

Fong was getting closer. There was no way Robbie would be getting home. That was over twenty blocks in the other direction.

Turning toward the street, Robbie took a few steps back, only to find his arms flailing as his slipped backwards behind the dumpster, landing hard on his butt.

"I know you're here, kid," came Fong's voice. "Just come out, take the offer, and there won't have to be another beating."

Desperate, Robbie looked around for any possible way out or, even better, a weapon.

_Squeak!_

He looked by his hand. Frantically scratching at his fingers was a rat. Robbie had placed his hand down on its tail. Lifting his hand, Robbie watched as the animal scurried under the dumpster.

He listened to the rat's squeaks grow fainter and fainter, as if it had disappeared somewhere underground. Temporarily forgetting the trouble he was in, Robbie slowly inched the dumpster forward.

There was an open manhole; the cover lay on the ground a few inches away.

"Alright. I'm giving you to count of five to get out here. Otherwise, you're in for a world of pain. One…"

Robbie didn't really like the idea of going underground, especially into a sewer…

"Two…"

But then again, he didn't really like being physically assaulted just so some thug could get a kick.

"Three…"

He only had two choices. Stay and get beat up.

"Four…"

Or escape into a dark underground tunnel where he could easily get lost.

"Five."

By the time the Purple Dragon reached the dumpster, the manhole cover was back in place and there was no sign of Robbie.

* * *

"Ugh!" groaned Robbie as he made his way through the darkness, with only the dim service lights to guide him. "It stinks! At least I'm out of the rain though."

He kept walking until the tunnel he was in forked to the left and to the right. He stood there and thought hard about which way to take. "If only I knew which tunnel would lead me home," he said to himself.

By home, Robbie meant the old and out of use dumpster he slept in on the lower East Side. It wasn't much, but it kept him dry when it rained, it didn't smell as bad as one would think, and he kept it filled with newspapers and old blankets so he would stay warm at night.

Now, why was he forced to call a glorified trashcan home? Well, Robbie tried his best not to think about it, but let's just say that he felt it was a lot better than when his parents were alive.

In the end, he chose the right tunnel. He just had the feeling that it was the better path to take.

Hours later, the tunnel merged into an out of use subway tunnel. Robbie saw some lights ahead, brighter lights than the ones that had lit his way through the sewers. He sighed, relieved as he was getting really tired. Maybe there was someone up ahead who could tell him what the nearest street was.

When he reached the source of the illumination, Robbie was surprised to see that it was coming from what looked like an abandoned subway terminal that had been converted into a small home.

Well, he didn't want to go and enter, in case someone was there. He thought that anyone who would willingly live in a sewer was a complete psychopath. So, instead, Robbie gave in to exhaustion and fell against the tunnel wall and slid down. He was asleep before he even reached the ground.

It wasn't the best sleep in the world—He hovered in the twilight that is between being unconscious and fully aware, and a rock kept poking him in the ribs—but at least he was able to calm himself down mentally and physically.

He was woken up by voices closing in, but he didn't move. He just stayed curled in a ball on the ground.

"Listen. All I'm saying is maybe we need to keep a closer eye on the Kraang and start putting cameras up around the…"

"Guys! There's someone up here!"

Footsteps rapidly approached. Robbie looked up and strained to discern the forms that stood above him. When his vision finally cleared, he was able to recognize them. It was the turtles, the same ones who had helped him.

"Hey, Leo. Isn't this the punk the Purple Dragons were pushing around a few weeks ago?" asked one of them, the broader one. He had a lightning bolt-shaped crack in his plastron.

"Yeah, Raph, I think it is," responded the turtle that had been called Leo. He was the one who had fought Fong with a katana.

"Hmm. Wonder what he's doing down here," said another.

"Maybe we should wake him?"

"I'm already awake," answered Robbie quietly and sleepily. He was still a little tired, tired enough to not be frightened in the least by the fact that he had four armed mutant turtles surrounding him. He slowly sat up.

"Oh," said Leo. "Then perhaps you can tell us what you're doing in the sewers, _outside_ _our_ _lair_."

"I, uh—" Raph interrupted him.

"Maybe he's spying on us," he said in quiet, threatened voice. "You know, for…"

"I doubt he's spying on us, Raph. I mean, look at him."

"Donnie's right. You're just being overly suspicious," said Leo.

"And why shouldn't I be? In the past two weeks, we've escaped being chopped into little chunks of turtle filet by a Brazilian street thug. Our home was almost incinerated by a mutated ex-martial artist. And we've got aliens from another dimension dead set on destroying the city!"

"Chill out, Bro! Why don't we go inside, have some pizza, and talk this over?"

"Do _not_ tell me to chill out, Mikey!" Raph grabbed his brother—Robbie guessed as much—by the finger and bent it back.

Mikey began to cry out until Raph released. "Like I'm going to let this kid, whom we know nothing about, enter our home," he added angrily in Robbie's direction.

All four of the turtles began to argue about what to do when Robbie cleared his throat. "Listen," he said. "I really don't want to cause any trouble, so if you guys could just point me to the nearest exit, I'll leave."

Mikey smiled, almost like a little kid who was only too happy to help, and, pointing, said, "Sure. Just go down that way a couple hundred yards and you should find a ladder that goes up. Oh! And if you smell old Chinese takeout, you've gone too far."

The others eyed the youngest of the group before they watched Robbie go.

Robbie could feel their gazes on him for a while. He could tell especially that the hotheaded Raph really hadn't wanted him there.

"Well, if they think I'm going to tell anyone about them, they're dead wrong," he said to himself. For one thing, they'd helped him once. For another, Robbie usually did his best to avoid people in general. And his last reason was, who would believe him anyway?


	3. Chapter Two - Raphael

**Okay. So here is the second chapter... **_**FINALLY!**_** And it's from Raph's point-of-view!**

**Again, I own nothing except for Robbie, the situations, and that is pretty much it.**

**Two things:**

**In Splinter's story in this chapter, the character of Oroku Nagi is, in the original Mirage comics by Laird and Eastman, the brother of Oroku Saki and the main reason for the Shredder's vendetta against Hamato Yoshi, who did not mutate into Splinter. Research the original comics. You will find them interesting.**

**I added Nagi as he is deleted from nearly every media depiction of the TMNT universe. This was a tribute to the original comics, though I made him Oroku Saki's father so as not to conflict with the current established mythos in the Nickelodeon/Viacom series. If this is changed in the future, I shall be sure to correct it accordingly.**

**Robbie's lines to Shredder when he first meets him, the can opener and coleslaw quips are paraphrased from the first live action film from 1990. I am friends with Robbie Rist, who voiced Michelangelo in the film, and I wanted to do this as an homage, as they were his lines.**

**Thank you to my reviewers and followers. Please continue to read and review. I hope that this continues to meet or, even better, exceed your expectations.**

**Enjoy!**

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Chapter Two – Raphael

Raphael stormed down the tunnel after the kid. He needed to confirm his suspicions. He'd already sort of explained it to Leo.

They had spent several minutes arguing after that punk took off.

"What was that?" an angry Raph yelled at Mikey. "Why would you tell him how to get out of here?"

"Because," began Mikey defensively, "one, he was lost; and two, you weren't going to let him inside."

"Well, duh, Shell-For-Brains. We can't be letting every single punk inside the lair! For all we know, he could—"

"Drop it, Raph," interjected Leo. "He wasn't a spy."

"How do you know?" snapped Raph.

Both Leo and Donnie opened their mouths, but neither said a word. Raph sneered. "Exactly," he said.

He turned and started after the boy. "Where are you going?" shouted Donnie.

Raph didn't turn round. He didn't even stop moving. "After the kid."

He disappeared before the others could stop him.

It didn't take long before Raph found the kid topside. Making sure that he was far enough behind to not be seen, yet close enough to keep track of him, Raph jumped from roof to roof after the kid.

"I can't believe those guys," Raph said to himself. Frustration boiled in him from the top of his compass to the bottom. "If it was Mikey, I can see why no one would agree, but come on! This is me. I'm always right… almost."

He stopped when the kid did so to look at a couple of street signs.

"Which way?" Raph could hear him say. "Okay, so I am on Morrow Street now. I need to get to Feldman Place." Raph watched as he turned right on to Eastman Street and began to follow him again.

A memory hit Raph as he journeyed through the night. A memory of when he and his brothers were growing up.

Leo, Donnie, and Mikey had already received their weapons, and Raph was still waiting to receive his. He had no idea what Master Splinter, his father and sensei, was going to present to him, but he was beginning to grow nervous. For, though he was the strongest of the four, he knew that all three of them could gang up on him and take him down with their weapons.

So he began to sneak everywhere, spying on his brothers, trying to figure out their plans and make sure that they couldn't get the jump on him.

One day, his suspicions finally got the best of him. He was sitting in the lair reading one of his comic books when Michelangelo came up behind him.

"Hey, Raph. What's—AAAAAAAAHH!" Mikey never got a chance to finish what he was saying because Raph had grabbed him by the elbow and pulled and twisted, sending him flying over the couch and into the wall.

"Raphael!" came a familiar voice. Raph slowly turned and found himself looking up into the face of Master Splinter. He was looking sternly at him. "What was your reason for that?"

"Sorry, sensei," he replied, "but Mikey was about to pound me."

"No I wasn't," shouted Mikey from behind the couch. "I was just asking you what you were doing!"

Raph knew he had to be blushing from embarrassment. "Well, I—"

"Raphael," said Master Splinter. "Come with me."

"But… Hai, sensei." He followed his master into the training dojo where Leo and Donnie were sparring together.

"Leonardo. Donatello. Please leave your brother and me alone."

"Yes, sensei. Come on, Donnie. There's a new episode of _Space Heroes_ on," said Leo excitedly. As they left the room, Raph could hear Donnie groan. He couldn't blame him. What Leo thought was so awesome about that show they would never figure out.

His sensei was over by the training staffs, waiting. Raph knew what was coming. Grabbing one of the weapons, he prepared for the first blow, but it never came. Master Splinter stood there in front of him, a sai blade in each hand.

"What seems to have been troubling you these past few weeks, my son?"

Raph hesitated. "Uh—"

Master Splinter cleared his throat and motioned for him to fight as he spoke, so Raph did so. He whipped the staff at his head, which the rat easily ducked.

"It's just that the others have their weapons, and I don't," he said, aiming another blow, this time at Splinter's right leg. Splinter took the sai and caught the wooden rod between the yoku projecting from the handles and threw his student halfway across the room.

"I see," Master Splinter returned, raising an eyebrow. "And the problem would be?—Again!"

Raph heaved a heavy sigh before launching another attack. "Well, now that they're armed, they're able to take me down. It's just a matter of time," he said.

His attack didn't end well for him. He soon found himself lying on his back, Master Splinter's foot planted firmly on his undershell.

The sparring match was over.

"What makes you think your brothers would ever wish to turn against you?"

"Because I'm always picking on them," said Raph without missing a beat. He had often thought of what could happen if they ever decided to strike back. Of course he never meant anything by his teasing, but he could never be so sure that they knew.

"So you have nothing but your suspicions to go on?" pressed Master Splinter, lifting his foot.

Raph opened his mouth to respond, to deny being purely suspicious, but he was unable to come up with an excuse, so he only closed his mouth again. He grunted. "Hai, sensei," he whispered.

"Raphael, let me tell you a story of what being suspicious without grounds can lead to," the wizened teacher said. Raph knew he would be forced to listen anyway, and therefore sat up so he could at least be comfortable.

"When I was just a boy in Japan, I had a friend named Manzo Hideaki. We were inseparable. There was hardly a thing the two of us would not do together. But that changed on the day that I been accepted as a student of Oroku Nagi."

"Oroku Nagi? Wasn't he the Shredder's father?" Raph asked.

"Yes," answered Splinter. "He was the father of my most hated enemy, Oroku Saki, and he was one of the most exalted ninjutsu masters in Japan." He paused before continuing his story. "Oroku Nagi had seen me practicing the martial arts with Manzo Hideaki in the streets—we often imitated what we would see through the windows of the martial arts academies—and he immediately offered me a spot in his school. It had always been my dream to become a master of the secret art of ninja, as it had been Manzo Hideaki's as well, and I immediately accepted. Oroku Nagi, however, did not extend an invitation to my friend.

"Hideaki did not take well to this. He was a very proud boy and could not accept what he saw as a great insult. Instead, he accused me of plotting against him and stealing his rightful place. He refused to speak to me ever again and would spend his days in his house in solitude. Eventually, Manzo Hideaki convinced himself that I intended to do away with him so that there would be no real rival to my skills and that I had many spies watching him.

"He followed me about, intending to foil my _plans_. One day, while he waited for me to leave the home of my beloved Tang Shen, a boy approached him, hoping to ask for directions. The boy startled Hideaki, leading him to grab the lad and throw him into the street, breaking his arm."

At the tale's end, Raph's eyes widened. He could have done the same thing to Mikey, perhaps even worse, he realized. "Gee," he said. It was all he _could_ say. The rat nodded in agreement.

"So you see, suspicion can lead to distrust and rash and unnecessary violence," Splinter said. "Before you let your suspicions take root, you must find proof before you act. That is the difference between the common man and the ninja, using one's head to decide the proper time to act."

"Hai, sensei."

"And as for the matter of a weapon… let us see how you handle these." Master Splinter held out the two sai and watched as Raph gingerly took the blades in each of his three fingers.

They felt right in his hands. Perfectly balanced and made for what he preferred in battle: close-range combat. Rotating the sai rapidly, Raph knew he'd found his weapon.

Raphael snapped back to the present. He'd lost track of the kid. "Oh, man," he groaned. "Where is he?"

"A net? Seriously? The Purple Dragons are going to try to use a net to get me?" It was the boy. His voice was coming from an alley somewhere up ahead.

Raph rushed to where the boy was and found him looking at an obvious net spread out on the ground in the middle of the alley. The kid looked from the badly made trap to a dumpster at the opposite end of the alleyway.

"Well, they're going to have to do better than that," the kid laughed. He walked around the side of the net and, once he'd reached the other end, he turned to look at it again. The teen barely let out another laugh when another net fell on top of him.

The Purple Dragons jumped down from the fire escapes of the buildings and, pulling the net off of him, hauled the boy to his feet. Sid held the kid's arms tightly behind his back.

"Better?" asked Fong, landing a kick in the kid's stomach.

"Yeah," the kid coughed. "Nice job."

"So," echoed a deep voice through the alley. Raph, who had prepared to jump down and teach the Purple Dragons a lesson, immediately froze. He knew that voice. It had haunted his and his brothers' dreams for the past two weeks.

He looked to the alley's entrance from the street and saw a thinly built form, covered in dark armor. Claws emerged from gauntlets covering his hands and razor-sharp looking spikes stuck out of the shoulders of his armor. The Shredder.

The kid took one look at the intimidating form approaching him and chuckled nervously. "I bet you never have to look for a can opener, big guy," he said. "What's all that hardware for? Making coleslaw?"

Despite his fear, Raph couldn't help but smile and realized he was starting to like this kid.

"Enough jokes!" cried out the Shredder. "Fong here tells me that the turtles came to your aid once, and that you were in the sewers earlier this evening."

"Yeah, so?"

"Where are they?"

"Where are who?"

_The punk's just asking for it_, thought Raph. _Man, was I wrong about him!_

"The turtles! Splinter! Where are they?" The Shredder was obviously becoming enraged. Raph wondered how long it would be before he snapped.

"Two things, big guy," said the kid. "A, I have no idea where the turtles are. The only reason I was in the sewers was to get away from him!" He pointed to Fong. "And B, I have no idea who this Splinter guy is. So if you could just tell the big meat bag to let me go, I'll be heading home." The kid's boldness and impatience did nothing to hide his anxiety.

A large blade, which gleamed in the light of a street lamp, emerged from the gauntlet on the Shredder's right hand. He pressed the blade into the kid's cheek. "This is your last chance to prove yourself useful to me, boy."

"And for the last time..." He hesitated before finishing, obviously weighing his options. At that moment, Raph honestly wouldn't have blamed him if he spilt the beans. "...I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Very well," said the Shredder in a hushed voice. The villain turned, as if to leave, but, instead, he spun around, roaring. His foot made contact with the kid's ribs, and a loud crack echoed through the air. The boy cried out in pain, only for the Shredder to bring a clawed hand down, viciously cutting his chest open.

Raph's eyes widened, his teeth clenched shut, and his sai were held tightly in his hands as he watched Sid let the kid drop to the ground with a thud.

As quickly as he'd appeared, the Shredder disappeared into the darkness, leaving the Purple Dragons with the boy.

Raph watched as Fong kicked the kid in the back of the head. "Shoulda joined us," he hissed. The Purple Dragons left the alley.

When he was sure all was clear, Raph dropped to the street and rushed into the alley. Standing over the boy, he could see liquid rubies seeping through his torn shirt. The kid was exceedingly pale, growing more so by the second, and he was barely breathing.

"Oh man," said Raph. As much as he hated to admit it, he was close to panicking, feeling guilty for misjudging kid. "I've got to get him back to the lair, and _fast_! Donnie or sensei'll know what to do."

Picking him up as gently as could, Raph took off to the nearest manhole he could find. He hoped the punk would be okay.


	4. Chapter Three - Robbie

**Hooray for finally being able to update! Sorry I took so long, but, as suspected, my laptop is fried and it shall take some time to acquire a new one. Also, I have been busy working on my original full-length novel...**

**Anyway, I want to give a thank you to chloemcg for her review on Chapter One. Check out her profile!**

**I would also like to thank my readers for motivating me to continue this. I had originally just written the prologue as a one shot out of boredom on my way to the hospital for surgery on my ear, but then I realized there was more to Robbie's story. So, again, a BIG thanks!**

**One last thing before my disclaimer: Towards the end of what has become a LONG chapter—Huzzah!—there is a term, "spanging". For those who don't know what it means, it is short for spare changing and is what a homeless person is doing when they ask random people for spare change. Just another term for panhandling.**

**DISCLAIMER: All rights belong to Nickelodeon and its parent company Viacom, and is based on characters created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird.**

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Chapter Three – Robbie

"_Get in here!" called Robbie's father._

"_Whatever it is," said Robbie as he nervously entered the living room of their crummy Alphabet City apartment, "I didn't do it."_

"_Just get over here." His dad was sitting in his usual spot on the recliner in front of the TV. He was a short and overweight man in his forties with a slightly balding head. All that remained were a few wisps of graying brown hair combed over to one side. His beer gut stuck out of his shirt awkwardly._

_Robbie's mother, a petit woman in her late thirties with black hair, stood behind the couch, waiting._

_Robbie stood in front of the television, blocking his father's view of the screen. "Yeah?" he asked._

"_Get out-of-the-way! I'm trying to watch the game—go sit on the couch!" Robbie rolled his green eyes, but didn't say anything. He sat down where he was supposed to, his mother's thin form looming over him from behind ominously…_

_His father's eyes never left the screen while he was talking. "I have a question for you," he said slowly. "Do you have any idea what happened to the six-pack I bought yesterday?"_

_"Maybe you drank it already," Robbie answered. It was a possibility. His father drank beer almost as fast and as often as he bought it. He very well could have drunk it already. But Robbie knew that wasn't the case. He'd dumped the foul drink down the drain in the bathtub the night before, when his parents were asleep._

_Amazingly, his father tore his face away from the game long enough to glare at him and scowl. "Don't get smart," he growled._

_"And my poker chips? What happened to those, Robbie?" asked his mother. She lit another cigarette and took a puff._

_Robbie didn't have an excuse for that. "I threw them out," he answered simply. "Just like I dumped the beer last night."_

_"What?!" screamed his mother as she hurried to her husband's side._

_"Yeah. I got rid of that junk." He stood up, turned the TV off, and faced his parents. "Ma, Dad, we can't afford all that. Between Ma's cigarettes and poker games and your beer guzzling, Dad, we're barely getting by. We're three months behind on rent. We have no heat. More than half the time, the fridge is filled with nothing but booze and I have to go to a neighbor's and beg dinner off them!" Robbie's voice was rising with each word. "I'm eleven-years-old and I shouldn't have to deal with this! How much longer do you guys think I'm going to be able to keep Protective Services from coming here?"_

_Robbie finished. The only sound in the room was his heavy breathing. No one said a word. The three just stared at each other, and Robbie was beginning to think that he may have finally started to get through to them._

_But suddenly, faster than should have been possible for a man of his size, Robbie's father rushed to his son and smacked him violently across the face with the back of his hand, sending him sprawling across the floor. Neither of them said anything to each other. Enough had been said._

_That small bit of violence had said it all._

Voices broke through the hazy, dreamlike memory. They were far off and they echoed at first, but they gradually became more intelligible.

"Do you think he's going to be all right?"

"I don't know. I think so. The cuts weren't that deep, and he didn't seem to have punctured a lung." Cuts? What cuts?

"So… what was that about him being a spy, Raph?" Robbie was finally able to tell who was speaking, though he kept his eyes closed. The turtles. He wondered what were they doing in his apartment…

The one who had just spoken was the one he remembered had been called Leo. In response to Leo's question came a rough, but quiet, voice.

"I was wrong."

"What was that? I didn't quite catch it."

"I was WRONG!" yelled Raph.

"Ssh!" hissed Donnie. "Do you guys want to wake him?"

Robbie's hearing dropped again as he slipped back into unconsciousness.

It must have been hours later when Robbie finally came around and opened his eyes. He was flat on his back, with his head only slightly propped up, and a light shining down on his face.

"Ugh, where am I?" he groaned weakly. The light was too bright to be the one in the apartment. Robbie's head was pounding and his body felt incredibly stiff. His mouth and throat were parched.

"Well, heh-heh, someone's finally decided to wake up," came a cheerful voice to his right. Robbie turned his head and saw one of the turtles. He was wearing a purple mask and smiling; there was a gap in his teeth.

Robbie said nothing. He just stared silently at the turtle, a suspicious eyebrow raised.

"Don't you talk anymore?" asked the turtle.

"Yeah," answered Robbie hoarsely.

"How ya feelin'?"

In response, Robbie groaned and grabbed his head and stomach as a wave of nausea hit him harder than Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans. The turtle immediately brought a bucket over to him and held it as he vomited into it. When he was done… "Does that answer your question?"

When Robbie attempted sit up, the turtle set the bucket down and helped him. For the first time, Robbie noticed that he didn't have a shirt on and a swath of reddened bandages was wrapped tightly around his torso. "What the—?"

"Hold that thought for a second, will you? Someone wanted to know when you finally regained consciousness," the turtle said. He shouted behind him, "Raph! He's up." The turtle looked back at Robbie. "My name's Donatello, by the way. But you can call me Donnie."

"Robbie… I'm Robbie." He was confused. He didn't recognize his surroundings at first. He was on a type of couch in what he realized was the abandoned subway terminal in the sewers, he was wrapped in bandages, and a humanoid turtle was taking care of him. Had he missed something?

Someone came running into the room, only to slow down when he caught sight of Robbie sitting up. Raphael, the tail-like ends of his red mask hanging over his shoulder like a ponytail, slowly approached the couch.

Robbie tried to back up, as he'd remembered that the guy didn't seem too fond of him. He took a deep breath and was forced to let out a panged gasp. Tears formed in his eyes.

Instead of saying something spiteful and vindictive, Raph looked at him in concern. "You all right?" he asked.

"That… depends," groaned Robbie between breaths. "I don't even know what happened…"

Raph looked at Donnie, an eyebrow raised questioningly. "He's still recovering from the shock," Donnie said. "He should remember everything soon."

"Remember what?" Robbie asked, still confused.

"Well," began Raph. He paused, apparently not knowing whether to go on or not. He decided to go on. "When you left the sewers, I followed you. I wanted to make sure you weren't a spy. I trailed you to Feldman Place where the Purple Dragons got the drop on you."

It was all starting to come back to him. "Yeah, I remember that," said Robbie. "They dropped a net on me. And then, after that, the guy with armor and claws…"

"The Shredder," said Raph and Donnie under their breath.

"… showed up, demanding that I tell him where you and some guy named Splinter was. I told them I didn't know." Robbie made sure to give Raph a pointed look at that time. "He got real mad and kicked me. That's all I remember."

Raph finished for him. "The Shredder took his claws and sliced you across the chest. Just about killed you." Raph looked slightly guilty for his harsh judgment. "I brought you back here," he added, in hopes that this would cancel it out.

"So that's why I have bloody bandages wrapped around me?"

"That, and you have three broken ribs," said Donnie. "In fact, it's about time I cleaned your cuts and gave you new bandages." He walked over to a table and brought back a clear plastic bottle, another swath of gauze bandages, and a wad of cotton. "Raph, I'm going to need you to hold him tightly by the shoulders while I do this."

Raph nodded and did so. "Why?" asked Robbie.

Donnie grimaced. "This is going to sting."

He began to cut the first strip of gauze gingerly off of the teenager's body, unwrapping the strands every so often. It took Donnie ten minutes to completely remove the bandages, which he discarded in the bucket that Robbie had thrown up in. There, across Robbie's chest, were three red slashes that had been neatly stitched up.

Taking the cap off the bottle, Donnie pressed the cotton to the spout and overturned the bottle in his hand. The liquid inside began to seep into the cotton. When it was thoroughly soaked through, Donnie set the bottle down and looked at Robbie. "Are you ready?" he asked.

Robbie nodded and clenched his teeth. As soon as Donnie touched the cotton to the stitches, Robbie hissed in pain and struggled against Raph, who only tightened his grip. Donnie concentrated on cleaning the stitches with the alcohol, doing his best to make it as easy for the kid as possible.

Robbie knew that the pain was what could be considered a minor casualty compared to what could happen if the wounds became infected. Finally, it was over and Donnie had wrapped another set of clean bandages around him.

Robbie started to breathe more regularly and calmed down as the prickling pain the alcohol had caused ebbed away.

"Well," he said, "that was fun." Even though it had been anything but, Robbie still wanted to appear as cool as he could. He could have sworn that the corners of Raph's mouth had twitched slightly, as if he were fighting a smile.

"How long have I been out?" asked Robbie.

Raph and Donnie looked at each other. Robbie thought they were deciding which of them was going to answer. In the end, it was Donnie.

"Uh, three days."

"Three days! I've been out for—?"

The trio could hear footsteps approaching. All three looked to the entrance of the lair and watched as a short turtle with a childlike face and an orange mask entered with a couple of boxes of Chinese takeout. "I brought Murakami's," Mikey said in a singsong voice.

"All right!" said Raph. He walked over and took a carton and sat on the floor, wasting no time in eating.

Mikey took one look at Robbie and beamed, his smile stretching to both sides of his face. "Awesome, dude! You're awake!"

He dropped the food and ran at full speed toward Robbie, arms outstretched and open wide.

At the last possible second, Donnie stepped in front of him.

"Mikey," warned Donnie. "Remember what I told you..."

"Aaaaaw," drawled Mikey, a disappointed frown on his face. "Sorry. I forgot." He paused. "Hey! Does Leo know he's awake?"

"Yeah," answered Raph, "but he's busy meditating with sensei." His mouth was full of chow mein.

"I'll fix that," Mikey said, a mischievous grin on his face. His voice took on an overly dramatic tone. "Oh man! Not _Space Heroes_ again!"

Robbie watched in confusion as Raph joined his brother in the charade. "Yeah, this show is _so_ lame. That Captain Ryan is a total moron."

"And it's a new episode, too," added Donnie.

There was shuffling from another room, and Leo ran in, sweat already running down his blue-masked face. _Color-coded turtles. Kind of elementary school. At least I'll be able to tell them apart though_, thought Robbie.

Leo took one look at the TV. "The news? Seriously, guys? I was in the middle of meditating," he said, voice wavering with annoyance.

"You're always meditating," said Raph.

"A leader must maintain inner peace and focus so that he may have a clear mind to make the right decisions." Leo sounded very authoritative to Robbie, definitely leadership material.

"Cut the crap. The kid's awake," snapped Raphael.

"Uh, the name's Robbie," said Robbie.

Leo turned to look at him. Robbie regarded him with a nod. "How you doing?" asked Leo.

Robbie shrugged, but that aggravated his broken ribs and he cried out. "Aah! … Okay, I guess," he said through clenched teeth. His face was red and his eyes watered.

"Man, he's almost as stubborn as you," he heard Mikey whisper to Raph.

"Yeah, he's tough, I guess," Raph whispered back.

"He is very fortunate to be alive," returned a stern voice from behind the couch. Robbie didn't turn for fear of more pain and for fear of what he might see.

"Master Splinter," said the turtles reverently, all bowing slightly.

_Splinter!_ thought Robbie. _That's the guy that "Mr. Claws" was asking for._

Whoever this Splinter was, Robbie could hear him step around to where he could be seen. Robbie slowly looked up and found himself confronted with a giant humanoid rat that had dark brown fur and was dressed in a dark robe. _Of course. First mutant turtles, then a guy wearing spiky armor, and now a giant rat. What _doesn't_ this city have?_

Splinter looked hard upon the boy, giving Robbie the impression that he was being studied. He suddenly felt very exposed and was forced to look away from the rat's ancient-looking eyes.

The room fell into a deathly silence, and when Robbie looked up again, Splinter was smiling. The rat bowed his head briefly.

"We thank you for not revealing our whereabouts," he said. "Especially when you did not have to shield us."

"No problem," was all Robbie said. It was all he _could_ say. He couldn't think of anything else. He was just too in awe of the being he was faced with at that moment.

"It is indeed a problem when such actions can cause an unnecessary loss of life," Splinter replied sternly. "And I am sorry that you have been drawn into this."

"Drawn into what?" asked Robbie, his voice steadily rising. "I have no idea what is going on here! This all started almost a month ago when you guys…" He pointed at the turtles. "… beat up the Purple Dragons!"

"Hey, we saved your skin that night!" Raph shouted.

Robbie continued, completely ignoring him. "And ever since then, the Dragons won't leave me alone! Constantly cornering and pounding me. Now, after a second time around you guys, some dude in armor tries to kill me because I didn't tell him where you were. WHAT is going on?"

He aimed his anger-filled question at the rat, but Splinter didn't even flinch. He only appeared to be deep in thought. Then, sitting down next to Robbie, he let out a soft and weary sigh. "Perhaps it is best if I explain it to you. Starting from the beginning. I—."

"Wait, this isn't going to be your entire life story, is it? You're not going to start at when you were born and everything, are you?" asked Robbie.

"Yes… and no," answered Splinter. "I am going to start a little before my _rebirth_, as it were. You see, my name was once Hamato Yoshi, and I was not always a rat…"

For the next hour, Robbie listened to the former Hamato Yoshi tell him of what happened those many years ago in Japan. Of how he had lost his precious wife, Tang Shen, and his daughter, Miwa, to the one he formerly called his friend, Oroku Saki, or, as Robbie learned, the Shredder. He was told of how Splinter had fled to New York for a new beginning and his and the turtles' encounter with the mysterious Kraang and their mutagen.

"Kraang? What are the Kraang?" Robbie asked.

"Oh, they're a race of alien brains from another dimension," explained Donatello. "As far as we can tell, they want to destroy the city with the mutagen."

"Oh," said Robbie, as if that was an entirely logical explanation. Given his current company, he didn't really have the right to question the validity of it all. He looked at Splinter. "Go on."

And Splinter finished his story with the Shredder's most recent attempt to destroy him, prior to their meeting Robbie.

"Wow. That's just messed up," said Robbie softly. "I mean, the guy already killed your wife and kid. And he still wants to kill you?"

Splinter nodded stiffly. He seemed far away. Robbie supposed he was thinking of Tang Shen and Miwa.

The teacher returned.

"But I still have my sons," said Splinter. "Though they can never replace what I've lost, I am grateful that they are here to fill the void." He looked at his sons with nothing but love in his eyes, and Robbie felt as if he should not be there. He felt like he was intruding on a personal moment. Not to mention, he began to feel something painful in his heart and soul.

"So what's your story?" asked Leonardo.

"Yeah, Robbie, what's a decent kid like you doing on the streets and everything?" asked Donnie. "Where are your parents?"

"Well," began Robbie. He hesitated. Robbie never liked to discuss his personal life and everything, but these guys had saved his life, not once but, possibly, twice. He guessed he owed them that. "Well, they… they died."

"What?" asked Mikey. Once again, the room fell silent. Everyone suddenly felt uncomfortable, but Splinter broke the tension.

"What happened to them, Robbie?" he asked.

Once again, Robbie hesitated. He'd always done his best to not think about his past life. Needless to say, it was not a good experience for him. Taking a deep breath, he answered the question. "Well, uh, we were all in bed, sleeping," he said. "And some guy broke into our apartment and into my parents' room. He shot them. I was hiding in a closet. That was four years ago."

It wasn't the complete truth, but it wasn't a complete lie either. Robbie had wanted to tell them what had actually happened, but he didn't want to face it. In fact, he wasn't sure he would ever be able to.

Every eye was on him. Mikey's eyes were wide and it looked like he was about to cry. Donnie's were wide, too, but from the shock of what he'd just heard. Raph looked as if he wanted to punch his fist through the TV, and Leo looked to be thinking, formulating a plan. Splinter merely gazed down at him in sympathy. Robbie began to feel very hot behind the ears.

It was several minutes before anyone spoke.

"Well, why aren't you living with a relative? Like an aunt or a grandparent or somethin'?" asked Raph.

Robbie shrugged, but only slightly—He didn't want to aggravate his ribs again. "All of my grandparents are dead, too. And my dad's brother lives in Arizona. They were never that close, so I doubt he even knows they're gone."

"Then what about an orphanage?"

"Are you kidding? This is New York. There are hundreds of orphanages, and, if you were me, would you want to live in one?" Robbie snapped. He checked himself and immediately regretted the way he had just spoken. "Sorry," he said, "it's just I don't think I would have coped well living in an orphanage."

"Why are the Purple Dragons messing with you?" asked Michelangelo.

"They're not the only ones. Gangs all over the East Side have been trying to recruit me to join," said Robbie.

"Why?" asked Leo.

Again, Robbie shrugged. "Because I've been able to break into places without setting off alarms. That's a valuable skill when it comes to burglary." The turtles stared at him coldly, causing Robbie to explain himself. "When you live on the street with no cash and nothing but the clothes on your back, then you really have no choice. I'm not much good at spanging, so burglary is what I do. But I only take things like bread, apples, and water. That sort of stuff." He paused to see whether their reaction had changed or not. They still weren't buying it. He added, "I pay the people back by keeping an eye on their places. If I get wind of someone planning to do something, I call the cops and place an anonymous tip."

The guys neither moved nor changed their expressions. Robbie felt like disappearing, but Splinter gently placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I understand," Splinter said softly. His voice was full of kindness. "You did what you needed to survive." Robbie watched him cast a disapproving glance at his sons, making him feel slightly better about himself and what he did.

"So, that's why the Purple Dragons bother me," finished Robbie. "It's also why I'm leaving the city."

"Why do you intend to leave the city, Robbie?" asked Splinter.

Robbie sighed and he realized how old he sounded, and felt, by doing so. "I'm just tired," he said wearily. "Tired of being tormented. I'm tired of feeling like a hunted animal." He stopped to take a few uneasy breaths. "I plan to hop a train and go to Chicago. _Tonight_."

"I hate to break it to ya, but you're not really going anywhere for a while," said Donnie.

"What?" cried Robbie. He didn't like the sound of where this was headed. "What're you talkin' about? I need to go. I've had this planned for the past week. You can't keep me prisoner down here!"

Robbie tried to move to his feet, but Leo had already grabbed him by the shoulders and forced him onto his back. Robbie suddenly found himself looking up into the faces of four mutant turtles and a mutated humanoid rat.

"We're not holding you hostage, Robbie," said Leo.

"Then why can't I go?" Robbie tried to struggle free, but Raph now had a firm grip on his feet and Mikey and Leo both held his arms down.

"Robbie," began Donnie, surprisingly firm, "you have _three_ broken ribs. If you strain yourself too much, you could end up hurting yourself even more. You could puncture one of your lungs. I - we just want you to stay down here until you're all healed up."

"But—" Splinter interrupted him.

"Surely you understand the reason," he said. "You have done us a service by keeping our location a secret; and, now, we wish to do you one in return by seeing to your recovery. After that, you shall be free to leave if you still wish to do so."

Robbie thought this over, knowing deep down that the rat was right. "Okay," he said minutes later as Raph, Mikey, and Leo released him. "So, how long will I be down here?"

They all looked at Donnie, waiting for his response.

"Oh, it shouldn't take more than a few weeks if you don't move around much," he answered.

"A few weeks?" It was more of an aggravated statement than a question. Raph and his brothers prepared to restrain him again, but there was no need. Robbie calmed down. "All right," he said with a sigh. "But what am I supposed to do the entire time I'm here? Lie on my back all day?" He sarcastically gestured to himself.

"Don't worry," said Leo.

"Yeah, we'll find something to keep your brain from turning to mush," said Mikey, who was grinning again.

"Well, that rules out _Space Heroes_," retorted Raph.

Everyone, except for Leo, laughed—even Robbie. He'd seen a couple of episodes before and thought about as highly of it as the others.

This was the happiest Robbie had felt in years.

* * *

**Please be patient for the next chapter. I hope for it to be up by Sunday night, but I make no guarantees. I want it to be as well written and looked over as this chapter, compared to the other two.**

**Also, the next chapter is set to be written from **_**Leo's**_** point-of-view!**


	5. Chapter Four - Leonardo

**Huzzah! Chapter Four is up! Again, sorry it took so long, but my stepfather is now home, having to leave his job over differences with his employers, and I am unable to get to the desktop unless alone. Also, as I stated, I wished for this to be as perfect as I could make it.**

**DISCLAIMER: I only own Robbie, Officer Tucker, the situations that take place in the current timeline of the story. All other rights go to Nickelodeon Studios and its parent company Viacom. Based on characters created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird.**

**Note: I try to take spelling and research with linguistics very seriously, so the Japanese is correct, also italicized. In the show's scripts, "**_**Yame**_**" is spelled as "Ya me" but in the Japanese language it is one word. I've even researched karate and such, though techniques differ on significant levels between karate and **_**ninjutsu.**_

**Secondary Note: By the time the events of this chapter take place, the events of "Mousers Attack!", the eleventh episode of the season, have already happened.**

**The last thing I'd like to say before turning you loose is my usual thank you to all who read this. It's clichéd, but without you, this wouldn't be possible.**

**Please review constructively. Thanks again!**

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Chapter Four – Leonardo

"_Hajime_!"

Leo stood in the _yoi_ stance, or at attention, when Master Splinter called out for the beginning of the day's lesson. He was sparring against Donnie. Sword against staff. _This should be over quickly_, he thought with plenty of confidence.

"_Kiai_!" shouted Donatello as he launched himself in the air. He held his bo in his hands and, as he made the descent, he thrust downward with it, hoping to catch Leo in the back of the head.

Leo had anticipated this however and he tucked down and rolled a few feet across the floor. As he made it fluidly to his feet, he withdrew one of his katanas from its sheath. He waited for his brother to make the next move.

He only needed to make one good strike and he could tally another win. Just as he was about to swing his sword…

"BOOYAKASHAAAAAAAAAA!" Leo turned only to be met with a nunchaku right in the middle of his face. He fell forward, facedown, Mikey and Donnie standing triumphantly over him.

"High three," said Mikey excitedly.

"Yes!" said Donnie as he happily obliged.

"_Yame_," said their sensei as he walked to the trio. As Leo sat up and Splinter stopped in front of him.

"That was so unfair, sensei," Leo complained. He was embarrassed. Embarrassed at losing what should have been an easy sparring match. "It was just supposed to be me and Donnie."

"A ninja never knows when a fight against one opponent will turn into a fight against many. You must anticipate this possibility, Leonardo," said Master Splinter. "It may be the deciding factor between life and death," he added.

Leo grunted and nodded once to show he understood. He and Donnie walked to the side of the room and sat down on the floor. While Donnie watched Michelangelo and Raphael begin their sparring match, Leo looked instead at the tree in the dojo.

Robbie was leaning against the trunk, watching the day's training session.

A week had already gone by since Raph had brought the kid underground with three broken ribs and three painful looking cuts across his chest that could only have been made by one person: Shredder. And Donnie had only just given him the OK to move around the lair with supervision three days earlier.

During the first four days, Robbie had spent his time on the couch, watching TV or talking to Leo and his brothers. Donnie would talk to him, filling him in on all of their missions. Mikey would usually play cards with him, or brag about how many times he'd "saved the day." Leo had tried to get him hooked on _Space Heroes_, but with no success. Raph had even let him read his comic books, which caught Leo by surprise. Raph never let _anyone_ touch his comics, but, then again, he seemed a little different when he was around the kid.

_He must still be trying to make up for misjudging him_, Leo had thought.

Now that he was allowed to move a little, Robbie would usually sit and watch Splinter train the turtles.

Leo had been spending much of his time thinking about the kid. Ever since the teen had told them about what had happened to his parents. He couldn't help but think that some things just didn't add up.

Donnie nudged Leo forward, and he knew he was supposed to slip into the match. He decided to get the jump on Mikey _literally_, but, once again, his thoughts turned back to Robbie. _What could he be hiding? What isn't he telling us about his parents?_

Mikey turned just in time to grab Leo by the wrist and brought him down hard on his shell. Raph charged, only for Mikey to catch him with his nunchucks-turned-kusarigama, and threw him across the room.

"_Yame_," called out Master Splinter.

So far, it hadn't been Leo's best day.

"What was that?" scowled Raph as he got to his feet.

"I… I don't… What was _that_?" stammered a flustered Leo. It was pathetic, and he knew it. "You couldn't take Mikey without _my_ help?"

Raph took a step forward. "I was doing fine until you jumped in."

"Oh yeah?" asked Leo, challenging his brother.

As the two drew closer to each other, Master Splinter strategically placed two fingers just underneath each of their jaws and pressed. Both turtles' eyes bulged in their sockets as a jolt of pain was sent through their bodies—This was a usual occurrence for the two.

When Master Splinter finally released, they fell to the floor, huffing and puffing heavily. It was never a pleasant experience when sensei used a pressure point, such as that one, against them.

"Enough!" chided the rat. "This was a part of the lesson, and Michelangelo seems to be the only one of you to have grasped it."

The brothers gasped. It was not something that was spoken too often. "I know," continued Splinter, equally surprised. "I did not expect to hear those words, much less speak them myself."

"Hey!" whined Mikey. Sensei only chuckled.

Leo and Raph looked at each other. Leo took note that Raph was still angry, but the wheels in Leo's head were turning too much for him to care. He knew that their father was right. He also knew that he needed to get to the bottom of the situation with Robbie if he wanted to be able to focus again.

It would not do for him to risk his brothers' lives while they were out on patrol if he couldn't keep his head where it needed to be.

"Again," commanded Master Splinter. "Donatello and Michelangelo. _Hajime_!"

As the two began to spar, Leo trudged over to Robbie and sat down next to him. "How you holding up?" he asked.

"Eh," was all Robbie said. He wasn't so talkative with Leo. It was mainly Donnie who was able to get more than one or two words from the kid; Donnie and sensei, Leo noted.

"You bored?"

"No." Robbie paused. "You know, you really suck today…"

Though he was embarrassed, Leo felt the corners of his mouth turn upwards. At least he'd gotten Robbie to say more than "Hey," or "All right," or let out more than a little grunt. "Yeah," he said. "I know. I don't know what's up."

"You look distracted."

_Hmm, the kid's observant_, thought Leo. "Yeah," he said out loud.

"By what?" asked Robbie.

"Things. Wondering what the Purple Dragons or Shredder's next move will be," Leo lied. He couldn't think of what else to say, besides not letting on as to what he was actually thinking about. Luckily, he didn't have to continue.

"Sorry I'm late!" shouted a girl as she ran into the room.

April O'Neil, her red hair pulled back in a ponytail, slid to a halt just as Raph jumped in and beat distracted Donnie senseless, effectively ending the sparring match.

No big surprise there. Donnie had a crush on April and was forever staring at and trying to impress her. Leo, Raph, and Mikey all liked to tease him over this.

Leo noticed that Robbie had suddenly become tense. The kid's eyes had widened.

"April!" Donnie cried from underneath Raph. He was grinning from ear equivalent to ear equivalent.

April looked at Donnie quickly before turning to Master Splinter and bowing.

"_Metallic-Mouth_ _O'Neil_?"

Everyone turned to look at Robbie, whose mouth was hanging wide open. He was struggling to get to his feet, and Leo had to help him. The looks all switched from Robbie to April, who was staring back at him; her face was red from blushing.

"Do I know you?" she asked. Her voice contained a mixture of anger and nervousness.

"Not personally," replied Robbie. He looked at Leo, asking with his eyes to help move him forward. Leo wondered what was going on. He knew that his whole family wondered that.

"Then how do _you_ know _me_?"

"We went to the same grade school together. I sat two rows behind you in almost every class." There was no sign that April knew who he was. "I accidentally nailed you in the back of the head with a tether ball in fourth grade," added Robbie.

Leo watched as recognition began to show in April's eyes. "R-Robbie Carusso?"

Robbie flashed a small smile. "You lost the braces. Nice."

April slowly approached him, purpose in every solid step. She stared at him for a little more than a minute before she slapped him hard across the face.

"Ooh," said Mikey.

"Ouch!" said Raph.

_Geez!_ thought Leo.

Leo thought Donnie had seemed a little nervous for a moment, but watched him regain his smile.

"You still haven't apologized for that," April said.

"Yeah, sorry about that, I guess," answered Robbie. His one cheek was red from where she had slapped him, and the sound it made told them it had hurt. But Robbie made no sign that he was in pain. There was a long pause between the two. "So, you know these guys?" he asked.

"Yeah, they saved my life," she answered. Leo and his brothers had gathered around April. Sensei watched from a distance. "A few times, actually," she added.

"Yeah?" said Robbie. "Cool."

"They're also helping me find my dad. He was taken by the Kraang."

"Oh! Right. The... alien brains," Robbie said. "Sorry to hear that."

April nodded. "What are _you_ doing down here?"

"Hmm? Oh, uh, same. They saved my life a couple times. Purple Dragons had been beatin' me," said Robbie, who seemed to be trying not to make a big deal out of it. "Shredder even tried to kill me a month ago. Broke a few of my ribs and sliced me open. Raph brought me back here, Donnie stitched me up, and they've been holding me hostage down here ever since." He looked at the four brothers with a grin on his face.

"Wow! Sounds like you've had a time," answered April. She was obviously stunned that he'd had a close call like that, but, otherwise, didn't seem impressed. _That's bound to make Donnie feel better_, thought Leo.

"Where have you been for the past four years though?" April asked. "No one's seen you since—"

"The streets." Leo noticed that Robbie had answered her a little quickly. The kid quickly changed the subject. "So what are you late for?"

"Oh! Master Splinter is training me to be a _kunoichi_," April said excitedly.

"A kuo-what?"

"A _kunoichi_," corrected April. "It's a female ninja."

"Oh. That's awesome," said Robbie.

Before April could answer, Master Splinter cleared his throat. "All right, boys," he said to the brothers. "That is enough for today. April's lesson this afternoon requires only my presence."

The turtles responded, "_Hai_, sensei." before leaving the dojo, taking Robbie with them.

Later that evening, Leo sat in the dojo with Master Splinter. They were having their usual meditation session. But the teacher knew that something was bothering his student.

"What seems to be troubling you, my son?" he asked, not opening his eyes.

"Nothing, sensei." answered Leo quietly.

"Ah, but something _does_ trouble you." pressed Splinter.

Leo sighed, and then took a deep breath before answering. "It's Robbie."

"Hmm?"

"I just get the feeling that he's hiding something. When he told us what happened to his parents, he hesitated. Like he didn't want to tell. And when he did talk, he seemed to have left some things out."

Splinter opened his eyes and looked kindly at Leo. "Leonardo, as leader, you have the capability to see more than any of your brothers combined, and yet you still overlook certain details," he said. "Yes, Robbie is hiding something, but I can see that whatever it is troubles him."

"But, sensei—"

"If he ever intends to tell us, he shall. But only when he is ready."

Leo knew his sensei was right, and so took a deep breath, attempting to get back into his meditation. "But that is not the only thing that troubles you, is it, my son?"

_Only_ _Master_ _Splinter_ _would_ _pick_ _up_ _on_ _that_, Leo thought. "No. It's his whole plan to leave the city. I mean, you taught us not to run away from a fight, unless there was no hope of victory. I get that he is tired of these gangs bothering him, but I still think he can handle it. He can get them to back off if he fights back enough, you know."

"Yes, he could win his freedom if he stays. But it would only be a partial freedom," answered Splinter thoughtfully. "Even if he fights for the freedom he rightfully deserves, there will still be others. Like cockroaches, more will take the place of those who leave him in peace."

"Yeah, but we could help him," responded Leo.

"But do you think he will accept it, your help? This is one battle you cannot fight on someone else's behalf. He will have to choose whether to face this himself."

This answer didn't satisfy him, and Leo knew that was all he was going to get. But maybe he could talk it over with his brothers. He made a mental note to meet with them that night, after both Robbie and sensei had fallen asleep.

_Maybe we can come up with something_.

* * *

**As per my alternation between points-of-view within this story, Chapter Five is set to be in Robbie's POV.**


	6. Chapter Five - Robbie

**At last! Chapter Five is up. I am going to attempt to keep this intro short.**

**Big thanks to carameltootsieroll and a guest reviewer for their kind reviews.**

**DISCLAIMER: I only own the characters of Robbie, Officer Tucker, and the mugger thus far. All other rights go to Nickelodeon and its parent company Viacom. Based upon the 2012 television series, based in turn upon the comics by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird.**

* * *

Chapter Five – Robbie

_A month! I've been down here for a month!_ Robbie thought. He was going stir crazy. Wasn't he supposed to have left at least a week ago? _Geez! All I did was trip. I caught myself, too, but Donnie still told me I was going to have to stay longer._

For the entire month, Robbie spent his time sitting around doing practically nothing. And although he appreciated what Donnie, Raph, Mikey, Leo, and Splinter had done for him, it was boring belowground. The most exciting thing he had to look forward to was watching the daily training session where someone, _mostly_ Mikey or Donnie, would undoubtedly get his butt kicked.

And running into _April O'Neil_? Of all people! Another reminder of the past, a past best forgotten.

Though she was a year older than him, he had been moved up a grade level, leaving them in almost all of the advanced classes together. He remembered having a crush on April when they were in third and fourth grade, but that was gone now, thankfully. Still, it didn't make it any less awkward.

So, along with watching the turtles train, he saw April train almost every day after she was done with school. And he had to admit from what he saw, she was _good_. Not just good. Dangerous. He wouldn't want to tangle with her.

One day, before she left, April cornered him. "So why haven't you gone to school since, well…"

"Please, O'Neil. I'd rather not talk about what happened," he interrupted. "The bottom line is, I don't go to school because then I'd be caught and sent to some lousy orphanage somewhere. Besides, I don't need to go to school. I know all I need to know, and there's always the library."

"But—"

"Ooh, my side! Mikey!"

Mikey was there in a split second. "Yeah?"

Robbie did his best to look like he was in pain. "Could you get me to the couch? I guessed I breathed in too deep, because my ribs started to hurt again."

"Sure," said Mikey, a look of concern on his face. Throwing his arm around Robbie's shoulder, he began to lead him away. "Bye, April. See you tomorrow?" he asked.

"Maybe," she said. "We'll see how much homework I have." She was looking at Robbie, who was looking over his shoulder. He hated to do that, but he didn't want to continue the conversation. He felt guilty for lying to her.

April didn't try that again though.

Robbie was sitting on the couch, eating a slice of leftover pizza—shocking, seeing as the guys ate pizza as if it were oxygen—when he could hear whispering from the next room. He strained to hear what was being said, but couldn't pick up any discernible words. He watched as Donnie entered.

"Ready for another exam?" he said good-naturedly.

"You mean where you poke and prod my side and then decide that I have to stay for a few more days?"

Donnie didn't answer. Instead, he went about his task. He had Robbie remove his shirt, so he could examine where Shredder had attacked him.

In the place of the three jagged cuts were three one-inch long scars that had faded to a white that contrasted with his dark Italian-American skin tone. They would be there for the rest of his life.

Gently, the turtle pressed two of his three fingers into Robbie's side. Robbie didn't wince. He hadn't felt any pain in almost two weeks.

"Hmm," said Donnie. "Your ribs have set nicely."

Robbie looked at him; hope flashed in his green eyes. "You mean—?"

"Yeah, you're all healed."

"All right!" Robbie hopped off the couch and to his feet. The others had entered the room. "So that means I can leave, right?"

"Yes," said Donnie, whose shoulders had slumped a little. Indeed, they all seemed to have grown a little upset, with the exceptions of Leo and Splinter.

"You still planning on leaving the city?" asked Raph. He refused to make eye contact with the kid.

"Yeah. I'll have to see if there's a train to Chicago tonight, but yeah, I'm still leaving," said Robbie.

"But—" Mikey whimpered. Leo placed a hand on his shoulder and took a step toward Robbie.

"Listen, Robbie. I understand why you want to leave, but running away won't solve anything," he said. The way in which he'd spoken made Robbie a little uncomfortable, like when he had been asked about what happened to his parents when he'd first woken up in the lair, or when April had cornered him that one day.

"It seems the only way for me," he replied quietly.

"Why?" asked Leo.

"Because… Because nobody knows me there. I mean, I could start over, and no one would bother me."

"Yeah, but for how long?" pressed Raph.

Robbie opened his mouth to shoot back a reply, but in the end, he was forced to close his mouth and shrug, head bowed and shaking.

"See? The point is you don't know when someone is going to start pressuring you like the gangs are here," continued Leo. "You _do_ deserve that 'freedom', but if you run, it could just start again. If you stay and fight, you could at least gain partial freedom, which is better than none at all."

"I don't know how much more I can take though," said Robbie. His body was quaking and he found that he was struggling to keep tears from falling. "It was driving me crazy, turning around and always finding someone there extending an 'invitation', or a beating if I didn't accept. I don't think I can go through that anymore."

"We can help," said Donnie. "You've helped us. Let us help you."

"But we're even. I kept you guys a secret and you made sure my ribs mended correctly," answered Robbie.

"Hey, bro," said Mikey, "it's not about being even. It's about helping a friend."

Robbie couldn't say anything. "Just think about it," said Leo.

Robbie nodded before turning and leaving the lair, unsure if he was going to come back.

Careful to stick to the shadows, Robbie wandered quietly through the city. The streets that had once been so familiar to him now seemed unrecognizable. True, he had only been underground for a month, but it seemed like everything had changed. He learned that there could be mutants around every corner, ninjas led by an evil, armored, revenge-seeking _ninjutsu_ master watching from the rooftops, or alien brains inside badly dressed robots driving around. It just wasn't the New York he grew up loving anymore.

"I gotta go cool off," Robbie said to himself.

He looked around until he saw an abandoned apartment complex across the street. He ran to it and found a broken window, through which he entered the building.

The place had been deserted for a many years now. Cobwebs and dust covered everything in sight on the ground floor. What was once the super's desk was now a heap of broken splinters. Chairs and other discarded furniture were scattered around the lobby. Robbie slowly made his way to the basement.

Just as he'd hoped, there was a small gym in the basement, though none of the equipment worked. That didn't matter to Robbie however. What he was hoping to use he found crammed in a small closet: balance beams, scaffolding-type bars and even an unassembled 4x8 trampoline.

Slowly and methodically, Robbie put everything together. He was stressed, and it was a time for thinking. There was only one-way for him to make himself feel better and to clear his mind enough to think.

Stretching carefully, Robbie took a running leap on to the trampoline and launched himself high into the air. As he came down, he did a sideways flip and caught himself on the scaffolding and spun on the bar like a trapeze artist before letting go and landing solidly on his feet. For being several months out of practice, Robbie was still pretty limber.

For as long as he could remember, Robbie had always enjoyed gymnastics and athletics. It had been his one method of escape. He would sometimes go to a court and find a few guys who wanted to play some basketball, or race down an alley. He'd taken gymnastics at the local YMCA and he was an all star on his fourth-grade track team.

It felt good for him to be able to channel his stress and energy outwards. He took a couple deep breaths before climbing on to a balance beam.

"Okay," he whispered. "Let's see if I can still do this." Robbie carefully bent down and took the beam in his hands before slowly lifting his legs upwards until he was unsteadily standing on his hands four feet above the ground. _One_ _step_ _at a_ _time_. _Just_ _one_ _step_ _at a_ _time_. He slowly began to move toward the middle of the beam where he stayed, thinking hard, until the blood rushing to his head began to dizzy him. He made his decision.

"Time to get out of here," Robbie said as he allowed himself to fall backwards onto a matt he'd placed under the balance beam.

Back on the streets, Robbie had made his way to Herald Square. He was surprised to find that it was deserted, not even a cop driving the night beat. Without warning, a heavy hand landed on his shoulder and spun him around.

"Cash. _Now!_" The mugger was heavy-set, but still well-built. Brown whiskers sprouted out of his chin and he glared at Robbie out of a scarred eye.

"Sorry, pal," Robbie answered. "I don't have any money." He pulled away and stared back at the man, who was eyeing his faded jacket with interest.

"That leather jacket could be worth something…. Fork it over," the mugger growled.

Robbie frowned in annoyance. "No way, man. Ain't gonna happen." Normally, he would have done his best to avoid a confrontation, but he just wasn't taking any crap that night. He was not in the mood.

The man laughed. "Well, who's gonna stop me?" He reached out and grabbed a fistful of jacket collar, his other fist pulled back and ready to punch the boy's lights out. But Robbie was ahead of him.

Ducking under the man's arm as he struck, Robbie twisted and worked himself out of the iron grip that had him. Then, jumping backwards, he pulled a lid from a garbage can and threw it like a Frisbee. The mugger jumped to the side and avoided it, only to have Robbie punch him hard in the gut. The man gasped more from shock than from pain and backed away slowly. Robbie could tell then that he was used to only having to throw one punch and relying more on his size to intimidate than anything.

"Get out of here," Robbie told him, and he watched his would-be attacker slink back into the darkness.

There was a noise behind him and Robbie turned. There were Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo, and Raphael. Raph had a smile on his face, while the others seemed more surprised.

"Nice moves, kid," Raph said. "We were about to jump in when we saw you had it taken care of."

"I'm not helpless…" responded Robbie. "How long've you guys been following me?"

"Since you left the lair," said Donnie.

"Oh."

"So, have you thought about it?" asked Leo. "Our offer?"

"Yeah. I'm not leaving." Leo smiled when he heard the answer. "Why am I going to let some jerks chase me out of my city?"

They all laughed a bit. When they'd calmed down, Robbie added, "I guess it's time to head back to the old dumpster."

"Dumpster?" asked Mikey. "You're not staying in a dumpster."

"Why not? I don't really have any other place."

"Well…" began Donnie.

"What?" asked Robbie. "Thanks for the offer, you guys, but I'm not living in the sewers."

"No, that's not what we're talking about," said Leo. "Just come with us and you'll see."

Somewhat reluctantly, he followed them down the nearest manhole and back to the lair. There, Donnie blindfolded him. Robbie felt anxiety begin to rise. "What'reyoudoing?" he asked. He'd spoken so fast that it had all come out as one word.

"Relax," said Donnie. "Would you just trust us?"

Robbie was unsure of being blindfolded, but he knew he trusted the turtles and allowed them to lead him through the sewers.

With his eyes covered, Robbie felt cut off from everything. Though the blindness didn't make him deaf or mute, he felt as if sound was nonexistent and that he had temporarily forgotten how to speak. The only ways he had of knowing where he was were the scent of the raw sewage and the feel of one of the guys' hands on his back, directing him. Then they stopped.

"All right," he could hear Leo say. "We're going to go topside now."

Relief flooded Robbie. "Then you're going to take off the blindfold now?"

"Not yet."

_Come on_, thought Robbie. _I want to get this thing done and over with_.

Carefully, Robbie placed his hands on one of the ladder's iron rungs and began to climb. He found it difficult to do so when he couldn't see. When he was halfway to the top, Robbie didn't raise his foot high enough when he stepped and he found himself struggling to find a rung on which to place his foot. Before he could, his hands slipped and he felt himself falling backwards.

Someone took a tight hold of his wrist before he could hit the concrete. "Sheesh, punk!" Raph. "Watch it!" he said.

After that, Robbie was passed upwards from turtle to turtle until he could feel the cool night air lick his cheek. "Now are you guys gonna let me see?"

"No, kid," said Raph, his voice growing louder as he emerged from the sewers behind him. "Come on," he added as he grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him along.

Robbie counted at least three dozen steps he'd taken before he could hear a door being opened and then closed behind him. He reached up to remove the blindfold when his arms were pulled down and held behind his back.

"Uh-uh," Mikey whispered in his ear, "almost there, dude."

"Into the elevator, everybody," said Donnie.

_Elevator?_ thought Robbie as he stepped forward. That was when he suddenly felt the floor begin to rise beneath him, and all he could do was listen to his own anxious breaths and the dull, almost hypnotic, hum of the motor as they were taken from floor to floor. Robbie was beginning to doze when they'd stopped.

Someone nudged him forward. Leo spoke. "All right, Robbie, you can—"

Robbie wasted no time in removing the blindfold, which he threw on the floor. He found himself standing in a gray hallway that was lined with doors. Right behind the group was an old modified service elevator. "Well?" he asked.

"Well what? Open the door," said Raph as he pointed to the door right across from them.

Robbie turned and studied the door. It was plain enough, but different from the others in the corridor. It had no apartment number, no peephole, but the most striking difference was that it was made not of wood but of metal, steel or iron; and instead of a knob, there was a numbered keypad with a scanner. "How—?"

"Just press your thumb to the scanner," Donnie instructed helpfully.

Apprehensively, Robbie followed Donnie's advice and placed his thumb on the scanner. There was a sonorous beep and the scanner vibrated slightly as it did its work. Another beep and the door opened.

It was dark within, but, as Robbie crossed the threshold, lights sprang to life, illuminating a surprising sight.

It was a well-stocked apartment. To one side was a small kitchen, with a miniature refrigerator, stove, and a microwave. In the middle of the room were a couch, beanbag chairs, and a television.

Robbie stood with his mouth gaping open as he took it all in. He'd no idea what to expect, but certainly not this. "Wha…?"

"Surprise!" the four brothers shouted.

"You didn't think we were going to let you go back to living in a dumpster, did you?" asked Donnie.

"But-but how did you know I wasn't going to leave?" stammered Robbie.

"We didn't," answered Leo. "But we decided to do this in case you did decide to stay," he added.

"When? How?"

"Mostly at night when you were asleep and we weren't on patrol. Donnie handled the wiring and such while we took care of the rest."

Robbie looked to the purple-masked mutant. "The door? The elevator?" he asked him.

Donnie beamed with pride as he spoke. "Well, all I did was replace the motor and hydraulics system to make the elevator operate more smoothly. Then with the door, I removed the old wooden door and welded together another door from scrap metal I collected. The keypad and scanner I reverse engineered from some old computers and such. I programmed the scanner by pressing your thumb to it when you were asleep one night. That's all you need to do to enter. _We_ have the passcode to get in if we need to. You're patched in to our cable in the lair as well."

Robbie couldn't believe it. His head was reeling, and he was glad to have had the good fortune to have the gang as friends. "Thanks, you guys," he said quietly. "I don't know what to say."

"Don't mention it, bro," said Mikey. "Let's just have some pizza. There's some in the fridge."

"Cool!" said Robbie happily.

"Hey! I think there's a rerun of _Space Heroes_ on right now," said Leo.

In response, the other four tackled him, laughing wildly.

Robbie could already feel his freedom returning.

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please review.**

**The next chapter shall be written from Mikey's point-of-view and will probably take a lot longer to write as I want it to be at least a thousand words and need to think of how to do that with the few that occurs.**


	7. Mid-Story Note

**Hey, everyone!**

**Sorry it is taking me so long to update, but many things have been taking place in my life for the past few months.**

**That may sound like an excuse-which it kind of is-but it's the truth. To give you an idea...**

_First off, I am _still_ having follow ups from the surgery I had when I began this story. These have now been cut back to every six weeks though so, we'll see how long it is before they schedule the next procedure. (This had become a 2-stage surgery.)_

_Next... I'M ASSOCIATE PRODUCING A FILM! It's just a short film, but one that I am very proud to be connected to. It helps that it is a horror film too... I LOVE horror films. :)_

_I am in the process of working on my novel, a YA work. The planning alone is taking some time._

_Next, I have been looking over all of the other published chapters and spotting a majority of whatever errors exist within. I have been reworking areas so they aren't so "clunky" and redundant and so that they flow more as well. I shall be uploading these versions, which are almost verbatim the originals with the exceptions of certain passages, in place of the original versions._

_I have a hearing next month for disability... Yes, I am one of those, but I have applied for numerous jobs and have been denied because of my medical disabilities. Though I don't intend to be on welfare for the rest of my life, as I know there are many others who could use the benefits, too._

**Well, that is all for now. As you can see, no, I have ****_not_**** cancelled the story. I am just exceedingly busy. I don't know when I will be updating next. But please be patient. I want this to be the absolute best story it can possibly be. Please take a look at the revised chapters though, which at this moment are the prologue and the first four chapters.**

**Oh! And would anyone be interested in creating a cover for this story? I'd do it myself, but my drawing skills are very mediocre at best. As long as the image has something to do with the story, I have no other guidelines for it. Hell! If one of you guys wants to tackle an image of Robbie, that would be Booyaka-sweet!**

**Also, who caught the season finale? I thought the Technodrome was awesome! As well as the writing for the episode. I can't wait until the season premier next month! What were your thoughts? And what are your thoughts on the character design for everyone's favourite sports-themed vigilante, Casey Jones, voiced by Josh Peck... Let me know, for both the cover and your opinions!**


	8. Q & A Session

**Again, I am sorry that I am taking so long to update with actual story, but I ****_am_**** doing my best without trying to rush it.**

**Anyway, I have been asked questions by a guest reviewer. Thus I am unable to send them private communication. In response, here are some random tidbits of information that don't pertain to Robbie's story.**

**Venus De Milo, this is for you.**

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1. Do you own _Watership Down_?

No, I do not have a copy of Richard Adams' _Watership_ _Down_ in my possession at the current point in time-I plan to remedy this in the future. I have seen the film, found it highly enjoyable and read the novel and loved it. I also listened to the BBC Radio dramatization.

In my opinion, it is a perfect example of anthropomorphism, outside of Kipling's _Jungle Books_ and Grahame's _Wind in the Willows_.

2. Did you know J. K. Rowling's _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_ is going to be made into a movie?

Yes, I am aware of Jo Rowling's screenwriting début in the "spin-off" of the Harry Potter films with _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_. Hail, Queen Jo! Love live the Queen!

3. Are you a man or a woman?

I find this question's need to be answered kind of unnecessary-for the reason why, check out the second paragraph of my bio and my author's picture. But I will still answer.

Yes, I am a twenty-one year old man. My picture is the closest you will be able to see of my actual face outside of Facebook and, possibly, YouTube. I created it myself using the Bitstrips comic app, and it actually is a very close likeness.

4. Do you like NC State? Because they're the wolf pack, and they have a veterinary school. I mean, if you like wolves. Never mind...

I cannot really express an opinion of North Carolina State. It does look to be a fine school, and I wish all current and future students good luck.

But the fact that they use the wolf as a mascot does amuse me. Mostly because wolves are used based on the "fact" [not really] that they are vicious creatures. They are actually docile creatures that thrive in a highly social structure. I, of course, do not recommend approaching wolves in the wild.

5. Who's your favorite turtle?

Donatello, hands down. My younger self would question this deeply as I had an unhealthy obsession with the color blue as a child and therefore liked Leo...

YOUNGER SELF: What's the matter with you? How can you like something that wears purple? _[smacks current self upside the head]_ Leo wears blue! Blue is da bomb! Plus he's got the swords!

CURRENT SELF: Okay, first off... that didn't hurt. Second, purple isn't a "girl" color, kid. It's gender neutral. Third, they are called _ninjaken_... Katana blades are curved.

_[YOUNGER SELF looks hard at CURRENT SELF for a few minutes.]_

YOUNGER SELF: You're boring and nerdy. _[pauses_] We don't have a lot of friends, do we?

CURRENT SELF: _[hesitates_] No we do not...

Anyway, as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted... _[YOUNGER SELF sticks tongue out.]_ I like Donatello because of his intelligence and because of his weapon. Seriously! A six foot bō staff can dish out a lot of damage while still presenting less risk of fatality than twin sai, ninjaken blades and the modified farming tool of nunchaku.

Although I like Donnie the most, I do see that all four have traits that everyone, and I mean that in reference to everyone in the world, should learn to balance. That is why our heroes in a half shell function so well as a team.

6. Did you ever watch Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation?

For those who don't know, The Next Mutation is a live action television series that ran for a single season of twenty-six episodes from September 1997 to May of 1998. It was produced by Saban Entertainment, which has brought us a lot of popular shows like Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers and X-Men: The Animated Series, and it aired on the Fox Kids Network.

Yes, I have viewed various episodes and I must honestly say that I could not and cannot stand it.

In my honest and most personal opinion, I think it is not in the actual TMNT canon. My reason for this is that I thought the writing stunk and therefore the stories were weak. The acting was just... NO. And the addition of a fifth mutant, named Venus de Milo _[Sorry, my beloved story follower. This does not change my love for you and any other readers who enjoy the show.]_ did NOT work. And I am a very open guy. I could have liked it if she had been well written, but sadly she was not. TMNT co-creator Peter Laird himself hated the character with a passion.

That is just my opinion. Please don't let it keep you from expressing your own. For those of you who wish to discover this show for yourselves, it is available for viewing on Netflix Instant, YouTube, and on the US network The Hub on Saturday afternoons. The entire series is available to purchase on DVD as well.

7. Have you ever named a cat Klunk?

Ha, ha! This question, of course, came from the fact that I mentioned that I have had numerous cats. No, Venus, I have never named a cat "Klunk". I have named a cat Crockett, his cousin Homer, my black cats Salem, Kishan and Spook, and my brother's grey cat Koala answers to the name Dorian.

8. At school, I'm in the Timberwolves!

I respond thus: Awesome!

9. Nerdy people are cool in my opinion.

Yes. Yes they are. Geeks are cool, too!

10. SUPERCALIFRAGILISTICEXPIALIDOCIOUS!

I can only respond to that with...

_[sings at the top of lungs in a British accent:]_ Even though the sound of it is something quite atrocious,  
If you say it loud enough, you'll always sound precocious!  
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!

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**Well, that is all for this Q & A session. Thank you for your questions, Venus De Milo. I hope you liked my answers and that you don't hate me for loathing the Next Mutation series.**

**For anyone else, if you have further questions please feel free to either submit them in a review if you are a guest, or, if you are a member of the site, send them to me in a private message!**

**The last thing I'd like to say is that the new cover to the story, which is a drawing of Robbie, was done by the incredible AnnietheAwesome! Thanks, Annie. You are the best. Hope to hear from you soon. For those of you who are interested, please notify me of any fan art you make, not because of the copyright reasons but because it is über flattering and I want to get my hands on as much as possible!**

**Anyway, that's it. Until next time!**

**Stay gold, my friends!**

**~FilmGeek-BookNerd12**


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